


The Baby

by Fegelien



Series: How Much I Love You [4]
Category: Shefani, The Voice (US) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-11 15:30:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5631625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fegelien/pseuds/Fegelien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story where Blake and Gwen have a child together. </p><p>Was originally titled "Daddy"<br/>Chapter 10 is up now!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Walked passed some gossip magazines saying Gwen Stefani is pregnant. Not true, just gossip, but this story is about a AU where it's real

  "Gwen, are you alright?" Gwen woke up, in a cold sweat, and saw Blake's concerned face looking down at her. "You were shaking in your sleep. You let out a whimper at some point" He sat up, and ran a hand through her hair, his fingertips brushing her scalp. "It reminded me of me when I have a bad dream" Gwen did remember the time she woke up and found Blake tossing and turning. But her dream was a strange one. She pushed it out of her mind, but suddenly felt cold. She shivered, and snuggled closer to Blake's body. "You don't have to worry about me. It was just a dream" she smiled up at him, after she saw he still had a worried look in his eyes. "I just don't want my sunflower getting scared" he grinned and laid back down. She nuzzled her face in his shirt, taking in the scent that she was familiar with after being with him for the past few months. It reminded her of the countryside, being in the fresh air, and reminded her of campfires, the smell of the hearth, with a faint smell of pine. She began to feel her eyelids getting heavy, and felt his arms wrap around her body. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, and she soon heard his slight snoring and snuffling, signaling he fell asleep. She drifted off to sleep, and forgot what she dreamt about before.

  She woke up when the sun began to rise. Gwen suddenly felt nauseous, but when she tried to move, she realized Blake's arms had a tight grip on her. She silently giggled when she tried to pry his arms away and found that his grip seemed to be getting tighter. She finally wiggled her way out, and heard a groan of sadness. Gwen felt nauseous again, but the feeling went away. She went through a list of stuff she had to do- pick the kids up an drop them off at school, bring Apollo back to her house, and she had a doctor's appointment later. Gwen took a brief look at the country man still sleeping. His face was in the pillows, arms laid out on front of him, and he was still snoring. She smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek, before going off to get ready for her day.

  After Zuma and Kingston were dropped off at school, she brought Apollo home, and found a wide awake Blake, whose eyes brightened up at the sight of Apollo. He made funny faces, which kept Apollo laughing. He cradled him while she made lunch, and cradled him when they were watching a movie. Gwen smiled when she heard Apollo say "papa", and he snuggled up against Blake's chest. She noticed that Blake looked overwhelmed, tears in the corner of his eyes, "erm, I'm not your 'papa'" Apollo looked up at Blake and said cheerfully "papa!" Blake looked at Gwen, but smiled when he saw her smiling. "I'm gonna miss him when he has to go back to him" Blake sighed, knowing that later that day, Apollo had to go back to his father. Gwen smiled sadly, and put an arm around Blake. Apollo was fast asleep when they picked up his brothers from school and dropped them off with their father. Gwen caught Blake eyeing Gavin with a look suspicion, before they drove off. "I'll drop ya off at the doctor's office. I have to go to studio to do some recording" Blake said when they got to a red light, grinning at Gwen. "You're writing a new album?" She looked at Blake curiously, who kissed her on the cheek. "Well, I have a lot of material and a certain someone to write about" he chuckled against her cheek, and started peppering it with kisses, but noticed her expression. "I got tinted windows" he moved to her neck, and left a barely noticeable mark there, before coming back to her face, and bringing her in for a kiss. He bit her bottom lip lightly, before pushing his tongue in her mouth, eliciting a moan from Gwen. They reluctantly pulled away when the stoplight turned green. She laughed when she saw that she smeared lipstick over his mouth, and started to apologize, "sorry 'bout-" Blake silenced her with a short kiss. "You should know I don't mind by now" his eyes gleamed with amusement, "but why you wear makeup, when you look just as beautiful without it, is beyond me." She grinned, before asking "does Adam ever catch you looking like that?" Blake gave a puff of fake annoyance before replying "oh, he has. He always ends up laughing on the floor, grinnin' like an idiot. Tryna get me to talk about it" Gwen gave an embarrassed smile, and started laughing, and Blake joined her. "Speaking of Adam, he keeps bragging about Jordan" Blake remarked. Gwen smiled, remembering the season 9 finale. Her finalist, Jeffery, seems to be doing good after the show, even though he came fourth. They spent the rest of the car ride talking about The Voice and their teams. Gwen started feeling queasy for the third time that day, and wondered if she should ask the doctor about. "Bye darlin' " Blake kissed her before she go off, "I'll pick ya up. Text me when you think it's gonna end and I'll come" and he drove away.

  "What?" Gwen stared at her doctor, mouth hanging open. "You heard correctly. You are three weeks pregnant. Congratulations" Her doctor smiled cheerfully at her. Gwen closed her mouth, and felt a million thoughts rush into her head. "Well, you know how pregnancy works, the do's and the don'ts so unless you have any more questions, you are free to go." The doctor paused, waiting. Gwen had no questions, so she got up and left. She texted Blake a few minutes ago to come pick her up, but there was no sign of him yet. After waiting for awhile, the fact sunk in. She was carrying his baby. Gwen suddenly felt herself smiling. Her heart overflowed with joy: she knew how much Blake secretly wanted children of his own. Her kids adored him, and she knew he'd be a good dad. She was thinking about how she was going to tell him, when she saw his car pull up. "Hey Sunflower" she smiled at her nickname, and got in the car. "Hey Cowboy" she kissed him, still overjoyed.

  They both were sitting down on the couch, watching some horror movie. Gwen was sitting on Blake's lap, head on his shoulder. "Those people are so damn stupid. Walking into a forest at night when a killer is on the loose" Gwen laughed at his remarks. Blake grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. She felt herself hypnotized by them. That's when she realized, she should tell him now. "Blake," she paused, thinking of what to say, "I can't find any words, write any song, to describe how much I love you. I had to go through two relationships, and wait until I found you to feel truly in love. You're are the best kisser and lover. I feel confident to wear little or no makeup, because of you. You get along perfectly with my family, and my kids love you. You make me feel like a natural woman." She smiled a little, remembering a song she heard on the radio a few days ago. She softly began to sing

  
_Oh, baby, what you done to me?_  
_You make me feel so good inside_  
 _And I just wanna be close to you_  
_You make me feel so alive_

  
She then looked Blake in the eye, "you are gonna be a good dad."

  Blake, who had tears in the corner of his eyes, felt them widen. "I'm gonna be a -" he felt a lump in his throat. "A dad. We're having a baby." He felt her grab his hand, and place it on her stomach. He saw a look of worry flicker in her eyes. "Blake?" He didn't hear her, and instead smashed his lips into hers. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, and brought his hand up to caress her face. His other hand ran through her hair, like it did earlier that day. It felt like he was running his hands through silk. They broke the kiss, out of breath. Blake felt like he was floating. "I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad" he nuzzled his face into his favorite spot on her neck. "I wonder how the boys are gonna react" Gwen thought out loud, running a hand down his neck. "You always said Apollo wouldn't mind a little sibling" Blake muffled into her neck. "I hope it's a baby girl" Blake said, lifting his face to look at Gwen, "Don't really need another boy, your boys are perfect already. They could use a sister" She smiled, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She turned off the TV. Blake saw that she was tired, and gently picked her up, placing a lingering kiss on her hairline, and walked up to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, and got in after her, pulling the covers over them. Gwen was already fast sleep, snuggled up against him. Blake smiled, running a hand down to her abdomen, knowing their baby was growing there. He closed his eyes, arms wrapped around her. Unlike the previous night, no bad dreams came to Gwen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support on the last chaper :) There were pretty good ideas that I will use in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

He woke up in the early hours of the morning. The sky was turning lighter, but the sun had yet to rise. The country crooner glanced down at his woman, and smiled. The memories of the previous night filled him with joy. But then his grin faded a little. His bundle of joy. He had to wait nine months. Damn it. "But it'll be worth the wait", he whispered hopefully. He started to wonder how Gwen was going to be. It was her fourth child, so she knew how to deal with the troubles of being pregnant. But Blake still had a bit of worry in the back of his head. Anything could happen between now and then. The worry gnawed at his brain. All possible scenarios ran through his head, and he started to unconsciously hug Gwen tighter to his body. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, trying to calm down. Even after all this time, he still couldn't name what she smelled like. Cinnamon? Roses? Berries? Whatever it was, it was soothing, and calmed him down. Blake pushed all his concerns away for the time being. The sun started to rise, the light seeping in through the blinds. His mind went silent and he just silently watched how the sunlight illuminated Gwen's body. It turned her blonde hair golden, and highlighted every curve of her body. He smiled softly, and buried his face in her neck, nuzzling it. Blake began to hear giggling, and knew she was awake. "Stop, that tickles" she said between giggles. He grinned against her neck and didn't stop. The sound of her laughter always made him smile. Gwen playful pushed his head away, still giddy with laughter. "I'm glad you're awake" he said in her ear, before putting a hand on her stomach, his fingers skimming it lightly. Gwen rolled over, and kissed him on the nose, before getting up. He groaned, and tried to pull her back, but she slipped through his hands. "I have to call my boys. I said I'd call them today" Gwen called out from the bathroom. He felt his ears perk up, and wondered if she was going to tell them that they were going to get a new sibling. As if she read his mind, she called out again "I was planning to tell them about the baby, but if you don't want to yet, that's fine." Blake laughed, " 'course I want to tell them. Go right ahead." He sat up, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Do ya need anything?" he called out, getting up, and walking to the bathroom to find her bending over to grab something she dropped. "Er, No, I don't-" she turned around and found his lips on hers. It was a soft, passionate kiss. "Just call me if you need anything. I always wanted to pamper a lady" he grinned, pulling away. She started blushing, "Blake, I don't need to be pampered, you don't have to." He pouted playfully, before laughing. "You can't stop me though" he kissed her on the forehead, and left the bathroom. 

Blake was sitting on the couch, thinking of song lyrics for his new album, when he heard Gwen talking. He listened as he heard Gwen talking to her kids. His pulse went up when he heard her pause. "Remember when I had Apollo? And I told you, you were getting a brother a few months before?" Her two oldest sons responded "yeah." He heard her pause again. "Well, you three are going to get another sibling." "That's awesome!""Boy or girl?""When, mommy?" Blake had been holding his breath, and let out a sigh of relief. He heard Gwen laughing, and saying she didn't know. They said their good-byes and he heard Gwen coming into the room, and she sat down next to him. "That was easier than I thought" she laid down, head on his lap, "but I feel a bit sore" she sighed. Blake wanted to care for her, so he shyly asked "Can I massage your shoulders and back?" Gwen turned her head look at him, and seemed a bit surprised. But she smiled, and nodded, "please." His hands lightly rubbed her shoulders, thumbs moving in circles between her shoulder blades, and used his palm in a almost kneading motion. He slowly made his way down her back, letting his fingertips glide over spine, lightly rubbing the base of her spine under her shirt. Blake smiled when he saw a blissful look on Gwen's face, eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her lips. He moved the hand to her stomach, and gently rubbed it. "I never had a massage like that before" Gwen sighed happily, opening her eyes. "I'm definitely gonna ask for another one." Blake felt his ears turn red, and grinned, dimples showing. "I'm gonna go get you something to drink" he gently moved Gwen's head off his lap and went into the kitchen. Right then, she heard, she heard a knocking on the door. Gwen got up and answered it, finding Adam Levine, who was wearing a wide open grin on his face. 

"Hey Gwen. Hope I'm not bothering you and the cowboy" Gwen sighed, and let Adam in. "What is that jackass doing here?" Blake walked in with a cup of tea, and gave it to Gwen. "I wanted to say hello to my friends" Adam hugged Gwen and Blake at the same time. "Why are you here?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow, "to talk about the plan" Adam emphasized plan, and winked. "Oh, that." Blake just stood and stared at the two, confused. Adam looked at him, "Me and Gwen need to chat alone, if it's okay with you" he added the last part, surprised to find a look of annoyance. "No, i'm stayin' here" he put an arm around Gwen, and pulled her close. She gave Adam a sorry look, who at the time was squinting his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. He noticed that Blake's hand was on her stomach in a protective manner. Adam looked at Blake, and told him "that's cool. But me and Gwen have to talk about stuff that you can't find out about yet" he smiled "she'll be safe with me." Blake warily looked at Adam, before taking his arm off Gwen, and mumbling "i'll be upstairs" and they heard him stomp off. 

Gwen looked up the stairs, concerned, before she noticed Adam's happy look. "What?" Adam grinned wider, and said "so you two are gonna have a kid?" Gwen felt her face flush, "did he tell you?" Adam shook his head but sat down next to Gwen. "Nope. I could tell because he was being more protective than usual." Gwen gave a light laugh, before looking up the stairs again. "He's been like this since I told him yesterday. It gets a bit tedious." Adam's grin faded, and had a rare serious look on his face. "It's your 4th time being pregnant, but it's his first time at being a father" he looked up the stairs and smiled softly. "Blake always wanted to be a dad, but I think he's scared that something might happen between now and then. You probably already know, but he is a bit of a softie" Gwen smiled, she loved the soft side to Blake. Adam then glanced at her, "if I were a woman, I'd jump on the chance to get a man like Blake, who cares about you and will always show it" Gwen started feeling a bit guilty about her little annoyance with Blake, but started laughing at the thought of a female Adam. Adam laughed too, "Okay, back to business. I was thinking we could start thinking of the battle rounds" Gwen nodded her head, happier now that she realized a few things. 

Blake dried his face, looking out the door afterwards. Since they kept talking, he decided to just take a shower. His hair was wet and worry still gnawed at his thoughts. "I guess I could start thinkin' of song lyrics" but he listened downstairs, and heard them saying good bye to each other. He quickly got dressed and ran downstairs. "Leaving so soon?" He grinned at Adam, who smiled back. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," Gwen laughed, and gave Adam a side hug, "see you later." Adam grinned at Blake and said "you're dream came true. Don't stress out too much" and waved good bye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! Please comment any more ideas or tips you have for me. Next chapter will be up next week I hope.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Yay!
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading!

  
  Blake collapsed on his couch in his trailer. The day had been tiring, staying up for all the blind auditions. Now he had to pick who would against who on his team for the battle rounds and what songs would work out. He sighed, happy about his team, but sad that he was going to be busy all week. Blake tried to take a nap, but sleeping was impossible to do. He got up and went to his car, the familiar worry gnawing at his brain. It was a constant thing now for him, and now he wasn't going to be able to see Gwen as much as he used to. Yesterday was spent with Gwen trying to comfort and calm Blake down, but it didn't work. "And tomorrow we have to prepare for the battle rounds" he mumbled to himself as he started to drive, but he smiled, thinking of seeing Gwen, and eagerly drove to her house. But as he pulled up in the driveway, his eagerness turned to anxiousness, and he ran out the car. He knocked on the door, impatiently tapping his foot. Gwen opened the door, and threw her arms around him "welcome back, cowboy." He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. Gwen gently nudged his face off and kissed him. "You'll be happy to know that the country mafia is still strong. I beaten that jackass Adam to 4 artists" Blake broke the kiss and smiled at Gwen. She laughed, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Nothin bad happened while I was gone, I hope? Baby's alright?" Blake looked down at her, his voice with a hint of worry. It's been three weeks since they found out. "I know how to take care of myself when alone for a few hours, you know" she looked up at him, and gave a comforting smile. He felt relieved, but he saw worry in her eyes. "You should get some sleep" Gwen told him, taking Blake's hand, and leading him to the bed. He collapsed the bed, kicking his shoes and socks off. He pulled Gwen onto the bed gently, and nuzzled her hair. He traced her stomach, and smiled. "Gwen," he whispered, "do you think it'd be a good idea if we raised our baby and the boys in Oklahoma? Find a nice home out on the countryside, away from all the lights and cars." Blake felt his eyes feel heavy, and slowly drifted to sleep, but heard Gwen whisper "I'd love that."

  The next day, Blake had to coach his team on what songs they were going to sing for the battle rounds. After the last pair left, he went to meet Adam. "Where is that fool?" He looked in every room on the floor but then heard a familiar annoying laugh. "Goddamnit, where is that guy?" He reached a room that he thought the laughter was coming from, but then heard a familiar sweet voice. Blake's eyes widen in surprise, and he opened the door to find Adam and Gwen chatting. "What the- How did you- where did you- why-" He stuttered, trying to find the proper words to say. Adam laughed, "I guess I can tell ya now. Gwen here, is my advisor for the battle rounds." Gwen smiled and said "surprise!" Blake just stared at the two. "I knew you'd be depressed and whine about not seeing Gwen, so here ya go." Adam's voice faltered, as he saw a look of great annoyance in the country singer's eyes. "Uh.." Blake walked up to Adam, and said in a low voice, "I don't appreciate you using my girl to help you beat me" but a grin appeared on his face and he started laughing. "You are an evil little man" he looked up at Adam, who grinned from ear to ear, "i'm gonna have fun teasing you." Blake lightly pushed Adam aside and hugged Gwen, smiling into her neck. "Before you two get lovey dovey on me, I'm spare myself, and get out" Adam smirked, walking out. When he heard the door close, Blake looked around, making sure no one else was there except for them, and kissed her fiercely, pushing his tongue into her mouth, and running a hand through her satin-like hair. They pulled away, catching their breaths. Blake beamed at Gwen, before hugging her again. "This is a wonderful surprise" he laughed, sitting in a chair, and pulling her onto his lap. "It's exciting to be on The Voice again, even if I'm not a coach" Gwen sighed happily, and leaned her head against him. "Are you feeling alright?" Blake said suddenly, "do you need anythi-" She silenced him with a quick kiss, "I'm perfectly happy." He grinned, "you aren't gonna tell me Adam's secrets, right?" Gwen giggled, and shook her head. He kissed her neck, leaving a barely noticeable mark, before looking up at her, "you know you can ask me for anything" he smiled, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. "I know" she said, lowering her voice seductively. She suddenly straddle him, and she kissed him. His eyes widen in surprise, but he kissed back. Her tongue entered his mouth, and explored it. His hand wrapped around the back of her neck, while the other slide down her back, slipping under the waistband of her pants, before "GWEN. The next pairing is here. Stop making out with that Sasquatch." They broke apart suddenly, looking at the door. "I'm gonna get that bastard" Blake said, laughing. He saw a blush creep onto Gwen's face as she smiled. She kissed him on the cheek, before getting up and leaving. He smiled, and laid back in the chair.

  After they were both done for the day, they drove home.They were in his car, currently on the highway. Blake glanced over at Gwen, who was looking out the window. "Do you mind if I turn on the radio?" Gwen looked at him, and said "turn it on. I could use some music," and smiled. Blake turned on the radio, but the song was unexpected.

 _..And I got up on that high road_  
_And I did what any gentleman would do_  
 _I um, I got a brand new girlfriend!_  
_We went and jumped off the deep end_  
 _Flew out to LA for the weekend_  
_Spent the whole day lyin' on a beach_  
 _Wearin' nothin' but a smile_  
_Playin' kissy-kissy smoochy-smoochy_  
 _Talkin' mooshy-mooshy bout nothin'_  
_Man I think I'm onto somethin'_  
 _Because I feel just like a kid again_  
_I got a brand new girlfriend.._

  
Gwen started laughing, "didn't one of your singers from last season, Zach, do this song?" Blake nodded, grinning but feeling his ears turn red. Oh, he remembers this song. He starts humming to the tune. "It's catchy" he winks at Gwen, who smiles. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "Brand New Girlfriend" by Steve Holy.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please comment ideas of what you want to happen next chapter :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait. I kept throwing ideas I wrote down away, but then I thought of this idea for a chapter.

Blake was waiting in his car. Gwen had to go get something from the house and left him and her kids in the car. He was daydreaming about something, when he heard a voice from the back of the car: "Do you wanna try the Bean Boozled challenge?" He snapped back to reality, and turned his head, seeing Kingston holding up a purple dispenser. "The what challenge?" "You take a random jelly bean, and eat it. Each color has two flavors, one good, one nasty" Zuma said excitedly. Kingston took out a random jelly bean, and ate it, shrugging, "Toothpaste, not bad." Blake grinned, "I'll try my luck." Kingston handed him a brown bean, "it's either chocolate pudding," Blake took it and ate it. He started gagging, "Or canned dog food" Kingston said giggling, along with Zuma. Apollo who knew something funny happened, started giggling too. "What's going on?" Gwen got in the car just then, looking around. "They are trying to poison me" Blake said jokingly, pointing a finger at the kids. She noticed the purple dispenser and started laughing, "Let me guess: you got a bad jelly bean flavor." Zuma held out a green jelly bean, "do you wanna try one, mommy?" Gwen took it, and smiled. "Lime" she laughed at the expression of annoyance on his face. "Of course you get the good flavor" he mutters, but grins at her.

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Blake said nervously, looking Gwen straight in the eye. She smiled sadly, "I'm gonna be fine. It's only few concerts." "I wish they were done with this season of The Voice, so I could go with you" he mumbled, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Just remember to text and call me" she winks, hugging him. Blake leans in to kiss her, taking his time and lightly bit her lip, as he reluctantly pulled away. He watched her as she walked away, looking over her shoulder with a look of sadness and longing in her eyes.

His bed seemed cold. It also seemed oddly empty and small, even though it was fit for a six foot five man. Blake sighed, and looked the clock. "Two in the fucking morning, and I still can't sleep" he muttered, looking up at the ceiling. He was taken back to the time right after his divorce. Those restless nights and the constant tired feeling. The feeling that he could've done more to save their marriage and that it was somehow all his fault. Blake looks back on this time with bitterness, realizing that it actually had nothing to do with him. He never thought he would find someone else again, and drank away his pain. But Gwen, he realized laying on the bed, saved him. She brought him out of his dark place, and made him happy. He thought this with a heavy heart, and wished that she was here. Blake thought about their baby, and smiled, thinking about how he would like to rock the child to sleep, and teach them how to play the guitar, and- He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. "Not yet" he said, reminding himself it was still going to be awhile before he could hold his kid close. It was now two thirty, and sleep still evaded him. But then he reached under the pillow, and surprisingly pulled out a shirt that belonged to Gwen. "What the-" he paused, bringing it up to his face. He didn't know how long that had been there, but it's smell..... He buried his nose in it, breathing in the scent. Blake grinned to himself, and closed his eyes. He pictured Gwen was right there next to him, and he soon fell asleep, holding the shirt close.

"Why are you antsy today? I'm the one with ADHD" Adam squinted at Blake, who kept glancing at his watch. Through that evening, he kept tapping his foot and felt just plain impatient. He was supposed to pick up Gwen from the airport, and reflecting on the first restless night alone, he was eager to get back with her. "Oh, I just got stuff to do after this is over" he gestured toward stage, where they were preparing for the instant save performances. He was lucky that none of his team was here, they all passed through. "You've been like this for the past week" Adam responded, raising an eyebrow. Pharrell and Christina walked over and noticed their conversation. "What's going on?" Christina looked at the two, seeming interested. Before Blake could respond, Adam leaned in and pulled out a paper bag. "Wonder what's in here?" He grinned at Blake's protests, and grinned even bigger when he pulled out a pair of baby cowboy boots. "Who are those for?" Pharrell giggled a little, while Christina smiled, figuring out what they were for. "Er, a fan wanted, um, I saw a , well, I don' know how they got-" He struggled to find words to explain it, while Adam roared with laughter. "Is it that hard to tell them?" Adam wiped tears from his eyes, before smiling genuinely, while Blake laughed embarrassingly. "I'm so happy for you two" Christina and Pharrell exclaim at the same time, still looking at the cowboy boots. "Isn't it a bit early to start buying this?" Pharrell tilts his head, a questioning look in his eyes. "It's early, that's an understatement. But I couldn't help it. I saw them in a window of a store, and decided why not" Blake shrugged, taking the boots back, and putting them in the bag. "Well, I knew this, but at least you didn't buy a cowboy or cowgirl hat" Adam smiled. "Anyway, I think they're cute" Christina said, "I think Gwen might love them." "After the year you two had, you both serve this happiness" Pharrell said, before he, Adam, and Christina walked back to their chairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! Chapter 5 will be up very soon :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Abby for the idea and jj3 for being an avid reader and inspiring me to continue writing this story

He frowned. He was paying attention to the singer on stage, but worry started gnawing at his brain suddenly. Blake pushed it away, and tried to focus on artist, the last one of the night. The last few minutes of the show were fuzzy: the singer finished his song, the other coaches praised it, but he wasn't asked to give his comments on it, since they were short on air time. "Just finish it already" Right then, the cameras cut off, and he went to his car, then felt his phone buzzing. He felt a cold sense of dread, and pulled it out. "Is this Blake Shelton?" The person sounded formal. He said yes, but felt that the tone of the operator's voice was foreshadowing some thing. The next few things he hears are fuzzy except for three. One, Gwen. Two, fell. Three, hospital. "Are you still there, Mr.Shelton? The lady's parents said to inform you." Blake responded shakily "Thanks for telling me" and he hung up. A few seconds went by, but for him, it felt longer. "What am I still fucking doing here, like an idiot. My girl and our baby are in danger" he yelled, and he got in his car. If ever was the time for speeding, he thought, it's now. 

He remembered what hospital it was, he drove past there a few times before. "Can't this stupid car go any faster" he muttered. He saw a flash of light, and stepped on the breaks. "GAH" he yelled, swerving to the right as he narrowly missed a car. The driver honked at him, yelling something indistinct. His heart was racing, and he was taking short breaths. Blake took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I ain't gonna do no good if I get in a car crash" he remembered his brother, Richie, and shook his head sadly. "No more speedin'" he said firmly. For the rest of the drive, he drove urgently, but tried to remain calm. 

When he actually arrived at the hospital, it was a bit of a blur. He asked them where she was politely (okay, he said "where the hell is Gwen fucking Stefani") and he found the room, passing by doctors and nurses on the way there, and saw two of Gwen's kids outside the door. Zuma jumped up, "Is mommy going to be okay?" He looked up at Blake, eyes wide and afraid. Blake got on a knee, and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's gonna be okay. She's a strong woman" he smiled, hiding his own fear. "What about our new sibling?" Blake looked over at Kingston, "It's gonna be alright." He hugged the two boys, who seemed a little less afraid. They clung to him, but didn't see the fright in his eyes. He let go of them reluctantly, and entered the room. 

It was quiet. The only sound was a beeping monitor, keeping track of her vitals. A doctor was talking in a low voice to her parents, who had Apollo and were listening intently, and didn't notice him entering. The doctor ended his talk, and turned to leave, but saw Blake standing at the door. "You must be Mr.Shelton" Blake nodded curtly, still looking at Gwen. "She suffered mild head trauma, and slight bruising to her whole body. She is unconscious, but she looks like she will be fine. As for the baby, we cannot be sure now. We'll monitor them until we can tell" the doctor said, before leaving the room. Blake immediately went to her side, and froze, looking down at her. She looked like she was sleeping. Her chest rose and fell, but it wasn't that noticeable. There a small bump on the side of her head, just above the ear. Her left hand was by her side, unmoving. He reached for her hand, and just stared at her closed eyes. "It was lucky that we were there" he turned his head, and saw her parents, looking at him sadly. "We were gonna take the boys to our home," her father shook his head sadly, "but then we heard a loud noise, and when we found her, Gwen lying on the bottom of the stairs. She fell, landing face down, and hit her head on the end of the railing of the stairs. She wouldn't respond all, we called 9-1-1, they called you, and" His voice trailed off. 

Blake returned his gaze back to Gwen, and remained like that for awhile, in the silence."We're gonna take the kids to our house. I'll come back" her mother said, a tone of concern in her voice. Her parents left the room, but Apollo cried out. "Momma, Bwake" he looked over their shoulders, eyes wide. Blake heard the door close, and stood there, still. On other occasions, he would've smiled at the name Apollo gave him, but now, it just went through his ears. It didn't matter. It was now, in the silence, alone with Gwen, that he started to take it all in. He suddenly felt dizzy, and sat on the chair by the hospital bed to steady himself. Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes; he tried to blink them away, but to no avail. He wanted nothing more, than to see her soft brown eyes and her smile. He wanted nothing more, than to bury his face in her neck, and feel her gentle hands run through his hair. Fear that their baby might have- "no" he said to himself, "Don't you fucking think about that." He refused to believe that anything happened to his child. He held her hand, rubbing his thumb in her palm. "Please wake up" he whispered, "Please wake up and tell me you're okay." He felt a lone tear run down his face, followed by another, and noticed his hands were shaking slightly. He then had a fleeting image of Gwen and her kids. He smiled slightly, "Remember that movie we went to? Star Wars. With your boys? They were really jumpy and excited. It was the most fun I ever had. Even if all the lightsabers and ships made no sense at times. Just me, you, and your boys." He brought her hand up to his face, brushing it against his cheek. "Or the time ya caught that bouquet at the wedding. You were so happy, because of that saying that whoever catches it will be married soon." He put her hand down by her side, but still held it. Blake glanced out the lone window. The moon was well up in the sky, and it's soft glow illuminated Gwen's blonde hair, and he gazed at her, tears once again started to well in the corners of his eyes. "You're so beautiful" he spoke, "most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He fell silent, the only sound was the beeping sound from the monitor, keeping track of her heartbeat. His hand left hers, and ran down to her stomach. "You should be proud of your momma" he felt a twinge of surprise and fear, talking to the unborn child. "She's strong. Your papa still can't figure out how he got her to fall in love with him" he smiled, remembering his initial surprise and joy when he found out Gwen the same feelings for him, as he did for her. But he felt pain: The one he loved, was laying right there, unconscious. 

The rest of the night was spent without another word. He didn't go to sleep, keeping a silent vigil. His gaze was glued on her face, waiting for a sign. The sun started to rise and he heard footsteps walking up and down the hallways outside. He suddenly shivered, a cold feeling spreading through his body. Blake unglued his eyes off of her, and used the hand to rub them. "I probably look like shit" he mumbled, eyes closed. "You look like you've been through hell." He jumped, eyes wide. Gwen was looking at him with half closed eyes and a meek smile. She was breathing slowly and looked like she was going to close her eyes again. He leaned in and planted frantic kisses up her arms, shoulders, neck and face. "I have been through hell" He said, burying his face in her shoulder. "How are you feeling?" Blake looked at her, afraid she would return to her unconscious state. "My head hurts like crazy, I feel like I could sleep for a long time, but other than that, okay." Before he could respond, the doctor walked in, looking surprised, but he smiled. "Glad to see you're awake Ms.Stefani" he walked over and looked at the monitor. "Everything appears to be alright. Any pain in your body?" Gwen looked a little dizzy, but responded "only my head hurts." The doctor nodded his head, and took a note on his clipboard. "We will keep you in here to make sure nothing serious pops up. And we need to make sure no harm was done to the baby. Well, I have to check on another patient. Mr. Shelton, you can leave if you want, she's fine" He smiled, but was given a glare from the country man which made the doctor a little bit scared. "But you can stay" he left the room quickly. Gwen started laughing. "What's so funny?" Blake turned his head to look at her, eyebrow raised. "The look on his face" she said while laughing. He grinned and did an exaggerated impression of the doctor's face. She laughed harder, laughing with him, but she winced. He immediately stopped laughing and a worried look appeared on his face. "It's nothing, just a little pain in my head" she said, smiling reassuringly at him. "I don't want that to happen again" he said quietly, holding her hand tightly. "How long was I unconscious?" She looked at him, wanting to find out what happened. "Since around seven last night. It's around seven now, in the morning. Twelve hours roughly, I think." Her eyes widen, "when was the last time you woke up?"He grinned nervously, "oh, yesterday morning." Blake noticed that she started to look guilty, and looked like she was going to apologize. "Don't you dare try to apologize. You are my girl, and I have to look after you. I don't care if I have to go a week without sleep for ya." Gwen still looked concern, "you should get some rest" she said, but she looked tired. "If you get some rest, I'll consider it" Blake said firmly, still not feeling any signs of sleepiness. She gave a small smile, before falling asleep. 

A few minutes later, her mother walked into the room. "She woke up yet?" Blake looked up at her, "she did, but she fell asleep." She sat down in the other chair by the bed. "You've been awake this entire time?" She raised an eyebrow at him, noticing his tired appearance. He nodded shyly, and started to feel the effects of being awake for a long period of time. "She's lucky to have you. I never really like her last relationship" he looked up, surprised. "You look awful. Get some shuteye, otherwise we'll worry" she smiled at him. Blake returned her smile, and slowly started to fall asleep, still holding Gwen's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading it! Next chapter will follow up where this one left off, but please comment critizism and other ideas you want for future chapters ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellllo again! I am stuck in a snow storm, so I continue writing.

The sound of the door opening woke him up. He squinted his eyes, and made out the figures of the doctor and Gwen's mother talking. Blake was still half asleep, and they were whispering, so he couldn't catch what they were saying. He stifled a yawn, and glanced at Gwen, who was still fast asleep, and her hand was still in his hand. "Is there anything I'd like to know about" he said out loud, scowling at the doctor. "Ah, you're awake" her mother said, smiling. "I was just informing her of what you already know," the doctor grinned nervously, still a bit wary of the country man, "we should have results soon, on the condition of the baby." Blake nodded slowly, not showing how anxious he was about it. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go" the doctor said as he scurried out of there. Gwen's mother looked at him. "And while you were asleep, Gwen woke up for a few minutes" he wanted to ask a question, but she read his mind, and responded. "She face timed the kids, who were happy to see here, and we  
just talked, and texted a friend. She still was tired,  
but said that her head didn't hurt as much. Bur she went back to sleep." He felt slightly annoyed that he wasn't woken up when she woke up, but he felt happy that the boys got to chat with their mom. She looked at her daughter and sighed, "I have to go unfortunately. I wouldn't if I knew she wasn't with you. I know I said it before, but I really am grateful for what you've done" Blake felt a hint of pride; the mother of his girlfriend trust him. "She's safe with me." She shook his hand, smiling, and left. 

Blake rubbed the back of his neck nervously, glancing at Gwen. "It's lonely when you're asleep" he sighed. He looked out the window and saw a glimpse of his reflection. "I do look like shit" he chuckled, remembering what he said earlier. His hair was sticking up in some places, while his face looked a bit scruffy. His eyes were red, from lack of sleep and from tearing up a bit. The shirt he was wearing was from yesterday, and ruffled up. He smiled, embarrassed that he let himself get into such a messy state, especially since he just had a conversation with Gwen's mother. "You're awake now? Yay" he suddenly turned his head and grinned at Gwen, who was looking up at him smiling. He leaned in, and left a kiss on her forehead, and nuzzled her nose, smiling, before sitting up again. "Why didn't ya wake me up before? I would've been awake earlier" he said, letting out a huff of fake annoyance. "You looked so peaceful. Carefree. I couldn't bring myself to disturb you." She brought a hand up to his hair, and flattened the parts that stuck up, and stroked his cheek with her thumb. Time seemed to slow down for him, in her caring gesture. He suddenly felt cold, and he wished he could get in the hospital bed and hold her tight against him. For now, Blake just moved his chair closer to her, and leaned in so his head rested on her shoulder. "This is not what I had in mind" he muttered, wondering if he could use the other chair to help find a more comfortable away of sitting close to her. Gwen started giggling as she watched him move about, moving the two chairs around, and bringing one chair from outside. He just laid across the three chairs, trying to get comfortable, while moving as close as he could get to her, when the doctor came in. "Well Ms. Stefani-" he closed the door behind him, but he paused. The scene was quite amusing: A six foot five man laying across three chairs, looking annoyed yet his eyes gleamed with amusement, while the lady beside him is silently laughing, covering her mouth with a hand. "Oh, hey doctor" Gwen said, noticing the doctor, and she stopped laughing, but she was still smiling. "Um, well," the doctor said, pushing away his confusion, "I have good news!" The doctor smiled brightly. Blake sat up, and looked at the doctor, an eyebrow raised. "The baby is unharmed, and as it turns out, we can do an ultrasound right now, if you want to." Blake, who felt like jumping up and down, was suddenly confused. "An ultra-what?" He looked at Gwen, who looked happy. "An ultrasound is basically for seeing the baby while it's developing, making sure no abnormalities so up and it's okay. You can also see what gender it is, as you are far enough along with your pregnancy" the doctor responded. Any tired feeling he had was replaced with excitement and joy.He looked at Gwen, who looked back. They both smiled and nodded, "sure, it's fine to do it now" she said. 

The way to the room where they would so the ultrasound was fuzzy in his memory. He remembered holding Gwen close to him, a small part of his mind fearing she would go unconscious again. The rest was confusing. The doctor put some weird jelly like substance over her stomach, while she laid down on the table in the middle of the room. He frowned, confused, when the doctor put a weird looking thing over her stomach. Blake was about to say something, but then an image appeared on the screen behind them. The image, black and white, depicted a small tiny figure. The distinguishing parts were it's head and what looked liked it's legs. "And that is your child, a baby girl" the doctor smiled, nodding his head because everything seemed normal. "It's a girl?" Gwen exclaimed, wearing a loving smile. Blake stared at the screen and felt himself smile from ear to ear. My little girl, he thought, and immediately felt love for his child. He started imagining all the things he wanted to do: Rock her to sleep, watch her and Apollo play together, teach her how to play the guitar, listen to country music with her, spending the day in the country, him, Gwen, and their girl. He was holding Gwen's hand, and unconsciously held it tighter. A new batch of thoughts started running through his head: Is anything else going to happen to Gwen? What were they gonna do, between their two busy schedules? Would they move to Oklahoma or stay here, in California? Would Gwen's boys go with them? How would they raise her? Would I be a good father? The last thought lingered on in his mind, even after the doctor finished, and Gwen went back to her room to get dressed, and she came back. "Well, you're free to go. I already checked you out and did whatever paperwork was left to do. I advise that you take it easy the next few days, as your head still hurts and you might go unconscious again. But other than that, I hope you two both have a good evening." The doctor smiled cheerfully at the couple, shaking both their hands, and leaving the two alone. "Well, I guess we can go" Gwen said, but looked up at Blake, and noticed his troubled expression. "What's wrong?" She said, worried. He shook his head, pushing his worries away, and made a dismissing gesture. "Nothin's wrong. Let's go to my place. It's closer and you must be tired" he put an arm around her, and led her to his car. 

It was about six in the evening when they got to his house. He noticed her tired expression as they got in the house, and was reminded of his own lack of sleep. She immediately went to the couch and curled up in a ball. Blake sat down next to her, and softly stroked her soft, blonde hair. "It's more comfortable in the bed, ya know" he chuckled, while she smiled up at him. She was about to get up, but he picked her up, in a bridal style way, and slowly carried her up to his room. Blake gently laid her on his bed, and got in next to her. He pulled the covers over them, and wrapped his arms around her, and held her closer. "To be honest, I didn't really notice that your belly was growing, until the doctor did that ultrasound. You look beautiful anyway" he whispered in her ear, and felt Gwen smile. She rested her head against his chest, and closed her eyes. Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep. Blake laid there in the dark, thinking. He realized that just last night, he was sitting in the silent room, with her being unconscious. "I won't let that ever happen again" he muttered, burying his nose in her hair, letting out a shuddering sigh. But his fear slowly gave away to a warm, happy feeling. He remembered how he 'talked' to his baby that night, and realized it was comforting, almost. "I won't let anythin' bad happen to you or your mom" he whispered, "I'm also gonna make sure you don't grow up like one of those stuck-up city folk" he added jokingly. He closed his eyes, finally, and drifted off to sleep

Blake woke up because of the sunlight drifting through his windows. "I need to get some of those blackout curtains" he grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. By the looks of it, it was almost noon, with the sun high in the sky. But it took him a few seconds to realize that Gwen wasn't there next to him. "Where'd she go?" He got out of bed, and quickly looked around. But then he heard someone humming downstairs, and he grinned. Blake carefully made his way downstairs, and found her sitting on the couch, writing something down. Her hair looked wet, so he assumed she took a shower before. He creeped up behind her, and grabbed her shoulders. She let out a small scream of surprise, which turned into laughter once she realized it was him."That's the second time you woke up without waking me up" his eyes gleamed with amusement, as he sat down beside her. "I used your shower, hope you don't mind" she said, smiling. "I would've preferred to have been there with ya. Besides, I have to take one anyway" he said in her ear, then kissing her lightly on the cheek. She blushed, but then smiled slyly. "Well, I'd be happy to take you up on that offer someday, but not today" she winked at Blake, who pouted, but grinned afterwards. "I was wondering, though" he said, "after this season of The Voice is over, would you like to come with me to Oklahoma" Gwen smiled, "I'd like that." She then playfully pushed him away, "Go get cleaned up, though" she laughed. He leaned in, and brought his lips to hers. He brought a hand around the back of her head, and brought her closer to him. She ran a hand through his dark hair, massaging his scalp. It wasn't a frantic, messy kiss, nor was it a short, small kiss. It was a long, passionate kiss, one in which the whole world seemed to slow down for them, and nothing else matter except for that moment. He inhaled the scent that he always found comforting, and lightly ran a hand down her back, before it rested on her hip, his fingertips gently brushing her stomach. They eventually had pull away to breathe, and his bright, blue eyes met her soft, brown eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers, and smiled lovingly at her, before he pulled away, and got up. "Don't get in any trouble while I'm gone" he winked at her, before walking up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Next chapter will be up soon!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, chapter 7! Hope you enjoy reading it ;)

It was annoying. Annoying how even now, he was still thinking about it. He knew he should be happy, but all the idiots in the world were bothering him for it. He remembered his old tweet, telling the haters to suck it. But unfortunately, those haters didn't get it. Left and right, her fans were viciously attacking him for no reason except the fact that they like Miranda, and thought he cheated. Then there were the 'vultures' who seemed so into what his everyday life was like with Gwen. Taking pictures and spreading rumors left and right. He sometimes felt like telling them to "fuck off", but he knew she wouldn't be thrilled about that, considering her kids could hear about it. "Huh" he said out loud, staring out the window, coming to a realization he already figure out awhile ago. If it weren't for his girlfriend, he would be tearing his hair out and would only find solace in the bottom of a bottle. He vaguely remembered being driven home by Adam for many nights, in a drunken state, but remembered clearly getting calls from a concerned Gwen after all those nights. The end of his marriage still made him cringe whenever he thought about it. Sure, he had friends, his home in Oklahoma, and his music, but the whole thing was hell, until she came along. His sunflower. Never thought he'd love anyone ever again, but, he was wrong. But still, he found it annoying reading comments about how "heart broken" Miranda was: she already found someone else, and seemed fucking happy with that new guy. It was also amusing how magazines were trying to say that it was her way of 'getting back' him. He had his girl: he moved on. Now she's moved on, so why bother about her?

Blake rubbed his forehead, head aching from all his thoughts. Gwen was talking to her kids through FaceTime downstairs. He sighed, and looked back out the window. The clear, blue Oklahoma sky stretched over the treetops. He had some sheet of paper in front of him, which was covered in a bunch of scribbles. They were supposed to be lyrics for a song he was writing, but he kept crossing out and rewriting words. Hell, some of those song lyrics weren't even for his song, but just song lyrics from songs that popped into his head. One of them stood out, because he couldn't remember what song it came from, and knew it wasn't a country song.

 _Fly me to the moon_  
_Let me play among the stars_  
 _Let me see what spring is like on_  
_A-Jupiter and Mars_  
 _In other words, hold my hand_  
_In other words, baby, kiss me_

  
He scratched his head, thinking, and then it hit him. Fly Me to the Moon; he heard the Frank Sinatra version of it. Yeah, he didn't normally listen to that type of music, but the man was a famous singer, so of course he knew some of his songs. Blake smiled, thinking about the lady downstairs. His ears perked up when he heard Gwen coming up the stairs, and he looked over his shoulder to see her making her way towards him. "What are you working on, cowboy?" She walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, looking over at the paper. Blake caught a glance of what she was wearing, and grinned. She was wearing a plaid, red shirt, under a green camo jacket, and blue jeans. Maybe his country ways were rubbing off on her, he mused. "Oh, just writin' stuff down" he responded, and suddenly heard her humming. He looked at her, cocking an eyebrow, but she then smiled, and started singing the song she was humming: the rest of "Fly Me to the Moon."

  
_Fill my heart with song and_  
_Let me sing for ever more_  
 _You are all I long for_  
_All I worship and adore_  
 _In other words, please be true_  
_In other words, I love you_

  
He was lost in her voice, and felt like he was waking up from a dream when she stopped. "Didn't know you'd know that song" Gwen said softly, looking at Blake. "Well, I don't just listen to country" he remarked, chuckling. He folded the paper, stuck it in his pocket, and turned his head to look at her. She wore little makeup nowadays, wearing none presently, yet she seemed more beautiful than when she wore it. Even with a baby bump, she was still ....his thought trailed off as he tried to think of a word other than 'beautiful' to describe her, but found himself stumped. Blake realized he was staring for a long time and lowered his gaze, blushing. She smiled, putting a hand under his chin, and raised his head until his eyes met hers. "In other words, baby, kiss me" she said, before actually kissing him, lightly. He was surprised at first, but found himself wishing it lasted longer when she pulled away. He frowned, but then grinned, standing up, and kissing her, shoving his tongue in her mouth. Their tongues did a slow tango, her arm wrapping his next, as his arm wrapped around her, slowly walking them out the room, down the stairs, not breaking the kiss. They only broke away when he accidentally hit his head on the doorframe to the kitchen, and he pulled away, cursing. It was a dull pain, but it left him a bit dizzy. Gwen, alarmed, found an ice pack, and put it on his head. "That was fucking stupid" he said out loud, laughing a bit. She gave a worried smile, still holding the ice pack to his head. He gently took the ice pack from her, and pushed her hand away, "I'm fine, honestly." He actually enjoyed it a little a bit, being cared for. The only other person who worried about this sort of stuff was his mother, but that was when he was little. "Do you want anything?" He asked, softly rubbing her stomach. "Well, I'm going to make myself a cup of tea, so" he immediately put down the ice pack, and poured some hot water in a cup, putting a tea bag in it. "Or you could do it" she said, giggling as he gave the cup to her. "Of course I'm gonna do it" he winked "I like taking care of you." They both walked into his living room, and sat down on a couch. They sat there, silent, until Blake spoke out loud. "I heard it is supposed to be nice later today, and tonight" he said shyly, "And I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day outside, and the night under the stars." Under the stars, he thought, annoyed with himself. It sounded stupid and cliche when he said it, and he expected her to decline. But, not for the first time, he was wrong. "I'd like that. I might be a city girl, but I still enjoy the outdoors" she said, smiling,  
as he felt himself grinning like an idiot. "Well, let's go then" he laughed at her surprised expression. "Now?" She said, eyes wide, "Why not?" He shrugged. He grabbed his jacket, a hat, and put an arm around her, walking her out the door.

Well, he was right about one thing: the evening was perfect. He looked over at her, and grinned. She was smiling from ear to ear, and looking out the car window, while humming to the tune of the song playing on the radio. The best part? There were no cameras, people, cars for miles. It was just the woods and them. He hoped she started seeing why he very much preferred life here than in the cities. But where were they going? Blake smiled, he had no specific idea of where he wanted to take her. He thought about a clearing he found awhile ago, accessible by a dirt road. He saw the dirt road, and got on it. Take a walk around the woods, he thought, get back to the truck by night. His mind went silent, and for the first time, he noticed the song that was on. He frowned, wanting to change it to country music, but noticed that she was humming along to the catchy tune, and realized that he was humming along to it as well. "Catchy, isn't it?" She said, grinning at him, as the song ended. He shrugged, but before he could respond, he noticed they arrived at the clearing, and stopped driving. "Well, I guess we're here" he said, glancing at her, as she got out the car. He followed, and just stood there, looking around. He gave a satisfied smile, as it was still only them. "So, what now?" She asked, looking around as well. He walked over to her, and and took her hand in his. "I was thinking we could take a walk and come back later" he said, and smiled when Gwen leaned her head against his shoulder, and nodded, smiling.

Dead branches snapped beneath their feet, as they walked along. His arm was around her waist, and her head was still resting on his shoulder. They were silent for the first couple of minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Gwen broke the silence when she asked him casually what his favorite hunting experience was. It caught him off guard. Why? Well, she was a vegetarian and he never expected her to be interested in it. He remembered he made a dark joke about Bambi once, out loud, but Apollo was in the room. She threw him a rare scowl, when Apollo started crying. It was the icy, cold stare she gave that scared him. She eventually forgave him, when he comforted Apollo, and soon Apollo was smiling and laughing. But now, she seemed genuinely interested, and looked at him with curiosity. He racked his memory, and decided to tell her about a funny hunting experience. Throughout the course of the story, he noticed her reaction. Her eyes would brighten and she started giggling. Her laughter was music to his ears: he loved making her laugh. He finished the story, and watched her as she wiped her tears of happiness. "Are you getting tired?" He gave a worried glance at her, turning serious. "I'm fine, honestly" she said, rubbing Blake's neck in a comforting gesture. He relaxed, a little. He looked at the sky, and noticed that night was falling fast. It was still light outside, yeah, but barely. "We should get back to the truck" he said, "I don't wanna get ya lost in the woods" he added, jokingly. "Who knows, maybe there's a boogeyman out here" Gwen said, giggling. He laughed, and they started walking back.

The way back was just as amusing as their walk through the forest. Gwen was the story teller, detailing a story from her childhood, involving a trio of classmates she nicknamed Moe, Larry, and Curly. It brought them both to tears, and Blake found himself giggling like a young boy. By the time they got to the truck, it was already dark, with the moon providing enough light for them to see the truck. "Just a minute" he said, and got in the car to get out some stuff. He got out and opened the tailgate of the truck and quickly laid a blanket down. Blake went over to her, and gently picked her up, and got in the cargo bed. There was a rolled up blanket there, which was used as a pillow. "Are you comfortable?" He asked, turning his head to look at her. She laying down next to him, looking up at the sky, and she seemed lost in it. He was about to ask her something, when a few bats suddenly flew over their heads and off into the forest. Gwen let out a startled scream, jumping a little in surprise. Blake laughed, and wrapped an arm around her, holding her closer. "They were just a couple o' bats" he said, nuzzling her hair. She gave a nervous laugh, and curled up closer to him. He remembered that he wanted to ask her something, and figured out what it was. "So, how are you enjoyin' this night out?" She beamed up at him. "It's wonderful out here" she sighed, burying her nose in his shirt. He felt proud of himself. He ran a hand through her hair, finding the gesture to be comforting for him. He closed his eyes, and just relaxed with her in his arms. "How would you like our girl to look like?" She said softly, while lifting her head up to look at him. He opened his eyes, and looked back at her. Blake gave a small smile, "Well, what do you would you like?" She laid her head back down, and responded. "Bright blue eyes. Brown hair. Maybe she'll have your smile" she let out a happy sigh. He felt himself smile. She just named some of his features. "So you want our daughter to look like me, basically?" She laughed, realizing that she did. He laid his head back, and closed his eyes again. Blake felt Gwen shiver next to him, "Are you cold?" He held her tighter, wrapping his other arm around her. "Not anymore" she whispered, lowering her voice. He placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head. She soon fell asleep, resting her head on his chest. He then started singing, softly, the last part of the song, before he dozed off, with the woman he adored in his arms, sleeping safe and sound.

_In other words, please be true  
In other words, I love you_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I've had a lot of freetime to write lately, so I've been updating this story. When will the next chapter be up? I can't say. Hopefully soon :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: this chapter has a mean Miranda. I don't know how their divorce went down, I am just imagining how here, as they seemed happy. Blake wrote songs about her, and clearly loved her. But, it's their own personal business.  
> Also, some of the song lyrics are not in italics (stupid phone) so gonna fix that. On a brighter note, enjoy!

Hm. It felt weird walking alone. Sure, she wanted to come with him, but he insisted on going alone. He was just going to the store to get some stuff, groceries, a new hammer since the old one broke: other stuff like that. And no cameras would follow him if he was alone, he thought. But, still, his hand felt cold, not holding hers. As he was thinking about this, someone accidentally ran into him. "Watch it, you-" he was about to say something, glaring, but he froze. Glaring back at him, was Miranda.

"Didn't think I'd see you again" she said, crossing her arms. Her breath reeked of vodka. "Well, that's something we had in common" Blake replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "So, how's your new life with that city girl? Did she dump ya yet?" He frowned. "How you two got together, I don't know" she remarked. "Well, why do you even care? You found yourself a boyfriend now" He said this calmly, dismissing her previous remarks. She laughed, but not in a friendly way; it was more of a cackle. "And he's hell of a lot better than your sorry ass." Blake grimaced, "I wonder when he's gonna find out 'bout your 'habits'" he was referencing what led to the end of their marriage, and found himself getting angrier, "At least now I'm with someone who doesn't lies, and knows what love is." Her smirk fell, and she scowled. All through this, a tiny voice in his head was asking politely for a drink. A bottle of rum, whiskey, vodka, anything. "But is it true? You're gonna have a baby?" Miranda asked, in a sing-song voice. He felt his ears turn red, and saw her laugh. "Your drunk, redneck ass? A father? With a city girl, dumb as rocks, who doesn't know shit about the country? By god, you're stupid" "Shut up" he said this quietly, trying to hold in the anger that was nearing it's breaking point. "What did you say?" "I SAID SHUT UP" He yelled at her, his once bright blue eyes were now dark with anger. Some people were looking at the two, alarmed, but kept their distance. The last time he felt this angry was the last time he met Gwen's ex, Gavin. "You leave my girl alone, ya hear? You were the one who cheated and lied, and that's why we had a divorce and a shitty year. Now I have the chance to be happy, and I ain't gonna let you, or any of your annoying fans bother me or my new family" he jabbed at finger at her. Goddamn, he needed a drink. "You never paid any attention to me, and your sorry, crying ass is why I left. You're hopeless" she replied. What happened next, left him stunned. Her hand went flying across his face, leaving a stinging red mark. Blake stared at her, before finally saying, "Get out of my face. 'Hope your boyfriend leaves you, so you'll be all alone. You deserve it" he turned and stomped away.

 _Just one drink._ He rubbed his head, walking through the aisles of the store.

_Come on, you need to forget that bitch. Just a bottle will do._

He grabbed a hammer at random, and threw it in the basket. "Think that's everything" he mumbled.

_Dumbass. Can't remember a simple grocery list._

He went to the checkout, walking pass the liquor and the other alcoholic beverages. I  _ain't gonna drink._ Blake paid for his purchases, and made his way, back to his car. He threw them in the passenger seat, and just sat in his car, head in his head. Two tiny voices were whispering in his mind. One, urging him to drink, something he did rarely now, because of Gwen. The other, mocking him and voicing his inner fears in a cruel voice. He bite his tongue, holding back a string of curse words he wanted to scream. Was he going insane? No, he thought, I'm just... His thoughts trailed off. He remembered a few bottles he had in a cabinet, that was practically untouched.

_Look, he's gonna get drunk. Brilliant_

_A few drinks would do you good._

He started up the car, and started driving, but he was acting in a strange robotic manner. Seatbelt. Ignition. Put in drive. Drive. Somewhere in this haze, the radio was turned on. At first, it was just a buzzing noise. But soon, the words started to become clearer.

 _You say I'm crazy_  
' _Cause you don't think I know what you've done_  
_But when you call me baby  
I know I'm not the only one_

 _I have loved you for many years_  
_Maybe I am just not enough_  
_You've made me realize my deepest fear  
By lying and tearing us up_

He felt a tear in his eye. This song. He could almost, no, he felt that way. All those months ago, all that heartbreak that he thought he left behind. Brought back by the same one who caused it all. All those fears he buried, resurfaced. He knew Gwen was waiting for him. But for now, all alone, with no one to see, the cowboy cried. Crying because of his old marriage. Crying because of how angry he was for letting her make him feel worthless. Crying because he was afraid. Afraid of another disappointment.

He managed to get home, even through his red rimmed eyes. The radio wasn't on after a song by a certain someone, whose initials are M.L., made him angry enough to turn the damn thing off. He grabbed the bag and got out the car, slamming the car door behind him. He walked slowly to the door, opening it, and throwing the bag somewhere. He heard footsteps coming downstairs, but he ran to the nearest room. "Blake?" A worried voice was coming closer to where he hid. He leaned against the door, blocking it, and shuddered. He didn't respond. "Can you open this door?" The doorknob jiggled, but his heavy frame prevented the door from opening. "Leave me alone" Why am I afraid to open the door? Why do I want to hide? Why am I still damn crying? All the questions running through his head. "I'm not leaving. Blake.... Open the door" He moved a little bit from the door. It opened from behind him, just a little. But she managed to get in. "Blake, what was that all-?" her voice fell. Her annoyed look turned to one of shock. He glanced at her, but looked away. "Don't" he said, almost whispering. Pushing her away, he tried to leave the room. Her hand gripped his, though, preventing him form doing so. "You don't have to hide. Tell me what's wrong" she said this in a soft, soothing voice. He felt her hand move up his back. It went up to the back of his head, softly stroking his hair. Just that very gesture started to calm him down. Almost. Slowly turning around, he finally faced her. He looked in her eyes, before burying his face in her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him. He let sobs wrack his body, not caring anymore if he did. Finally having someone to lean on. To hold him. He didn't want her to let go.

"Y-y-you don't deserve a cryin', redneck cow-cowboy. A st-st-stupid one at that. " he said, stuttering, looking up at her. He flinched, as her hand went to his cheek, which was red and still stinging. "Don't say that" she replied, eyes full of concern, "That is not true and you know it." She frowned, still looking at the red mark. "When I find out who did that..." Her voice trailed off. "I thought I was done with her. Thought I'd never see her again. I was wrong" his voice was steadier, but still quivering a little. He saw her look confused, but then figuring out who he was talking about. " 'You're gonna be a horrible father' " he said, mimicking Miranda's voice. He let out a shaky laugh, shaking his head is disbelief. "I keep letting her make me believe shit like that." She began to move them both to a couch with was in the room. Her arm was still around him, as he rested his head on her shoulder. They sat down, quiet. He still felt tears running down his face. Her gentle hand went to his hair, stroking it. As she placed gentle kisses on his head, he started to calm down. The tears stopped, and now the only noise in the room was his rapid breathing, but that faded away too. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. But the look in his eyes was look of someone who was hollow. Empty. So when Gwen looked at him, she still was concerned.

She gave a small smile, like she suddenly had an idea. Her arm left him, and went to a nearby, small radio. He looked at her, confused, yet curious at what she wanted to do. She stood up, with Blake still clinging on to her. The song she put on was playing.

_When your legs don't work like they used to before  
And I can't sweep you off of your feet_

He let out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief, when she started doing a slow two-step dance. "Ya know I don't dance. I only know how to square dance." And no way was that gonna work with this song, he thought. She smiles, brushing a tear off his face. "Then let me show you"

_Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?  
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

They made their way around the room, Gwen taking the lead. Her hands moved to his shoulders, while his unconsciously moved to her waist. Moving back and forth, side to side. It was hypnotizing, for him, just looking right into her eyes, as their bodies moved in sync with each other.

 _And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70_  
_And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23_  
_And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_  
_Maybe just the touch of a hand_  
Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day  
_And I just wanna tell you I am_

He felt a grin slowly appear on his face. He started to go in longer strides across the floor, a bit quicker. They broke apart, but were holding onto to each by one hand, reaching out as far as they could go, before coming back together.

 _So honey now_  
_Take me into your loving arms_  
_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_  
_Place your head on my beating heart_  
_I'm thinking out loud  
Maybe we found love right where we are_

They returned to a slow dance, just flowing with the music. The empty look in his eye was replaced with a bright, joyous look. His dimples were prominent on his face, as he started to take the lead, while she smiled, and followed.

 _When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades_  
_And the crowds don't remember my name_  
_When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm_  
_I know you will still love me the same_  
' _Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen_  
_Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory_

She leaned her head against his chest. It seemed like they were smoothly sliding across the room, avoiding every object. It could've only been them in the whole world, and they wouldn't care.

 _I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_  
_Maybe it's all part of a plan_  
_I'll just keep on making the same mistakes_  
_Hoping that you'll understand_  
But baby now  
_Take me into your loving arms_  
 _Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_  
Place your head on my beating heart  
_I'm thinking out loud_  
_That maybe we found love right where we are, oh_

She twirled as he took her hand, bringing it up, and they both laughed. He put both hands on her waist, and gently picked her up and spun her around once, before putting her down, and continuing their dance. He pressed his forehead against hers, their feet still moving together.

  
_So baby now_  
_Take me into your loving arms_  
_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_  
_Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart_  
_I'm thinking out loud_  
_That maybe we found love right where we are_  
_Oh maybe we found love right where we are_  
_And we found love right where we are_

They both slowly came to a stop as the song ended, slightly out of breath. He gave her a beaming smile. "At least I know how to dance now" he said a low voice. Blake leaned in, and pressed his lips against hers. He brought a hand to the back of her head, and ran his fingers through her soft, blonde hair. His other arm went around her back, holding her closer. The next song came on, this more upbeat, and had a classic feel to it.

 _close my eyes and soon I'm feeling sleepy_  
_I sleep so easy_  
_There's nothing on my mind_  
_And life seems kind now  
I want her she wants me_

 _I walk downtown and as I look around me_  
_All around me_  
_The people smile at me_  
_It's plain to see that_  
_I want her she wants me_

_She told me to be careful if I loved her (ooh)  
'Cause she had given her heart once before_

_And now she knows she doesn't have to worry_  
_I would not make her sorry_  
_There's nothing on my mind_  
_And life seems kind now  
I want her she wants me_

He smiled at her, breaking away from the kiss, she smiled back. "Do you want to keep dancing?" Gwen asked. "Of course I do."

It wasn't until after what felt like a million songs, until the moon rose and was high in the sky, that they finally collapsed on the couch, exhaustion taking hold of them. They fell asleep in each other's arms, a smile still on their faces. His memories of earlier that day had faded away. Replaced with the memories of her smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheew, this was a bit sad for me to make. I think I made her too mean.  
> Lists of songs are in order  
> -I'm Not the Only One: Sam Smith  
> -Thinking Out Loud: Ed Sheeran  
> -I Want Her, She Wants Me: Covered by The Zombies  
> They are really great songs (my personal opinion) and I suggest you listen to them! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please comment ideas for future chapters :) they are good ones! Next chapter will be up soon!  
> Edit- I call dibs on using G.S. new single, and lyrics (jk xD)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I' so so so so (so x100) sorry not updating this story! I hope this chapter was worthy the wait if you were waiting. If not, then I hope you still like the chapter.

For some reason, he was still a bit fearful. Worried. Reality hadn't set in yet for him. Until.... He got to hold her for the first time. His baby. Their baby. The doctors were finished with all their checkups, said she was fine and dandy. She was swaddled up in a blanket, squirming around. She looked so delicate and so small, yet fitted comfortably in the crook of his arm and elbow. He just sat there, next to Gwen who was laying on a hospital bed, looking down at their baby. He felt a large grin appear on his face. That type of grin that the Cheshire Cat would be jealous of. How did he feel? Overjoyed is an understatement, that's for sure. All his fears were gone for that moment. His only attention was on the baby. He brought a hand up, and the baby grabbed it. Blake never thought he seen something so adorable. Yeah, soon the baby was hungry, had to go back to Gwen. But that memory of his first time holding her was still etched in his memory. He was still grinning.

~~~~~~~

He got in the car, and took another glance at the back seat. The baby was strapped in the carseat securely. They were finally going home, thank fucking god. That hospital was driving him crazy, with the doctors and their overly complicated lectures. Home. For now, it was Gwen's place. But, he thought, hopefully that could change. He still remembered his own wish of raising his child in his home state. He took yet another glance at the back seat. "Blake, what's wrong?" He turned his head to look at Gwen, who was looking at him with a concerned look on her face. "Nothing, I'm just checking-" he stopped talking after she started brushing that hair that was sticking out from under his hat. The action was soothing, and he felt himself calm down. "She's sleeping" she said softly, smiling, "You're just naturally worried, anyway. Just remember to relax sometimes." He grinned sheepishly, shrugging. Maybe he would try to relax a bit. He turned the engine on, and started driving.

He never drove so carefully and anxiously before. Blake didn't look at the back seat as often, but he stole quick glances at times. Gwen had turned on the radio, so it helped distract him. Strangely, there was a radio station playing country, in LA. But , hey, he wasn't complaining. He started to think about other things. Filming for knockouts in season 11 ended, so he was free for roughly two months. The question was, what was he going to do after those months were up? He pushed the thought out of his mind. But just thinking about not being around his kid was an upsetting feeling. He looked over at Gwen, who was staring into space, absentmindedly nodding her head to the song playing on the radio. It was right then that he realized how late it was. It must have been midnight. He should've been tired, having not slept for roughly a day. But he didn't feeling like yawning. Too excited probably, he mused. They were getting close to her house, and a another song started playing on the radio. The familiar notes and rhythm caught his attention. With a grin, he quietly began singing along: It was one of his own songs.

_You're crashing into me like waves on the coast_  
_Every time we talk, you move in close_  
_I don't want you to stop, I don't want you to stop tonight_  
_We've got the last two glasses on a straw hut bar_  
_Trying to remember what number we are_  
_String of white lights making your eyes shine tonight_

Gwen's ears perked up, realizing that he was singing. Right when he looked at her, she looked at him. Still grinning, he sang the next part, loud enough for her to hear, quiet enough to not awake the sleeping baby.

_We're buzzing like that no vacancy sign out front_  
_Your skin is begging to be kissed by a little more than the sun_  
_You take my hand in yours, you lean in_  
_And your lips taste like sangria, your lips taste like sangria_

Blake stopped singing along for a second, still looking over at her. It was dark, but the headlights were illuminating her in a rather beautiful way. He could make out her brown eyes, which were holding his gaze. He could make out her lips, which were curved in a big smile, teeth showing. This lovely woman, who he fell for all those months ago. Who loved him back. He noticed that they were approaching her house, and as they pulled up in the driveway, he sang the next few lines softly.

_Wrecking ball dancing down the hallway_  
_You're holding your shoes, wearing my shades_  
_We fall against the door, we fall into a wild warm kiss_

As if she read his mind, she leaned in as he did, leaning into a soft kiss as the car came to a stop. His hand went to her soft, blonde shair, tangling his fingers in it, with his other hand cupped her face. She raised a hand to her face, taking a hold of his hand. But just as it seemed they wouldn't stop, they were reminded of a certain someone in the backseat, who was crying out loud. They broke away quickly, his ears turning red. "I don't think she likes to see or hear us making out" he said, getting out of the car, with Gwen getting the baby. She laughed at his remark, blushing. With the bag they brought with them slung over his shoulder, he opened the door and followed her inside.

Once the baby had a baby bottle, it seemed content. Gwen sat across Blake's lap, resting her head on his shoulder. He was humming some old song. The tune, he remembered, by the lyrics long gone. He was holding the bottle up to the baby's mouth, his enrapt eyes on the baby. "Oh, my parents are bringing the boys tomorrow" This break in the silence caused him to tear his gaze away from the baby and onto Gwen. "That's good. I want them to meet their little sister" he returned to looking at the baby, who was now sleeping. He placed the bottle on the table, and looked down at the baby. Her skin was a healthy ruddy color, and when he gently brushed his fingertips on her forehead, it was surprisingly soft. She was snuggled up against him. Oh, he didn't know what to say- she was just so adorable. "You look like the happiest man alive" Gwen said with a laugh, kissing him on the ear. "Well, I am." The country singer nuzzled her hair, pressing his lips softly against her forehead. The silence returned again, letting him to relish this moment. Just the three of them. It would've been better if her kids were there, but for now.... It was perfect. But it also made him think about things he wanted to talk about, and he didn't want to disturb the sleeping baby. "We should take her to her crib" he said out loud, with Gwen nodding in agreement They both got up and made the slow trek up the stairs.

He laid the baby face up in the crib, careful not to wake her up doing so. He stayed there for a second. A minute. A few minutes. What felt like an hour, until he was pretty sure nothing bad was going to happen if they left the room. When they got to Gwen's room, Blake collapsed on the bed, pulling her along with him. They weren't bothered enough to change into their pajamas. His nose found it's way into her hair, taking in the familiar scent. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand: One in the morning. His eyes returned to Gwen, who was running a hand through his hair. He liked it when she did that. Nails lightly grazing his scalp, fingers moving in a way that was as if she was painting pictures in his hair, all this in a slow, comforting manner. If he was a cat, he'd be purring, he thought. "Do you remember that night, when we just danced the night away?" This question came out of the blue, and caught Blake off guard. But he remembered that night in Oklahoma. It was just.... He didn't really like to think about what led to it, to put it in a simple way. He nosed his way into the curve of her neck, before unwanted memories could snake their way into his thoughts. But he unconsciously rubbed the side of his face, where his ex had slapped him months ago. Just the memory of it made me flinch. Brought out the insecure side of him, the side he didn't like to show. But, again, he did remember that night. It made up for the day he had. By a long shot. Blake smiled, moving his face away from her neck to kiss her. "Of course I remember that night." And he was thankful for her being there for him, he added silently. "Speaking of Oklahoma, I was thinking" before he could finish his question, they heard the now-familiar cry of the baby. Blake sat up in the blink of an eye, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He practically ran to the baby's room, alarm written all over his face. There wasn't anything obviously wrong with the baby. No stinky diaper, didn't seem hungry, nothing like that. She just seemed upset and wouldn't go back to sleep. He picked her up gently, and in the most soothing voice he could muster, said "Everything's alright, now. Go back to sleep, little one." He racked his brain for any old lullaby he could remember, and remembered one about some mockingbird. He softly began to sing, as the baby's cries slowly faded away.

_Hush little baby, don't you cry  
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

She was looking up at him curiosity, eyes wide. The baby soon fell asleep in his arms by the time he finished what he remembered.

_And if that horse and cart fall down,_  
_you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town_

He smiled down at the sleeping baby, and gently laid her back down in the crib. A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked over to see Gwen, tears in the corner of her eyes. "What are you crying 'bout?" He asked teasingly. "That was just so heartwarming, with the lullaby" she replied, leading them both back to her room. "You're such a natural. I never got any of my kids to stop crying that fast." A blush spread across his face at her remarks. He entered 'aw shucks' mode, and was grinning from ear to ear, looking down at his feet. They both got back in bed, and laid there, looking up at ceiling. Why? No particular reason. He for one, needed some time to collect the thoughts buzzing around his head. Blake turned his head to look at her, and found that she was looking at him, and seemed deep in thought. "Whatcha thinking 'bout?" he said, rolling over until he was facing her. She smiled coyly, "I'm thinking about how lucky I am." "Lucky for what?" He grinned. Oh, he knew why. He just liked to hear Gwen say why. It made him feel happy, to get more reassurance of what he already knew. He waited, until she leaned in to tell him in his ear.

_You're a sapphire, you're a rolling stone_  
_You're a sparkle, in a deep black hole You're like moon shine, when the curtains close  
You're my answer, one that no one knows_

He was caught off guard at what she was whispering. She was singing one of her songs that got released in March and it didn't take Sherlock to guess who it was about.

_You know that this is so precious  
You know I would be dumb to give perfection up_

_You're rare, I'm loving every second of it, don't you know_  
_You're rare and only a stupid girl would let you go_  
_You're so good and you don't even know it_  
_You're so good and you don't even know you're rare_

Blake blushed, grinning from ear to ear. You know what it's like to have your lover sing a song they wrote about you? It's amazing, and right now, it was filling him with joy. He liked the song, and always enjoyed it when she sang it to him. "That's one of my favorite songs" He said, kissing her face and neck repeatedly, "And I mean it." It was Gwen's turn to blush, but she started giggling. "What's so funny?" He asked, looking up at her. "The stubble on your face is ticklish." He cocked an eyebrow, but grinned, and continued to kiss her cheek. Blake eventually stopped, choosing instead to firmly press his lips on hers for a long, passionate kiss. Her hands went to his shoulder and to his dark, brown with slivers of grey hair. His went to her perfectly, rounded hips, and her long hair. It was silly if he thought about it- she was mother of 3- well, 4 now, and he was now a father. They both led professional lives, both were in their forties, and yet, they still made out like a couple of teenagers. But he was shameless.

They eventually broke the kiss for some air, with her nipping at his lower lip as they did so. Their eyes met; Bright blue and dark brown. He stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb, leaning his forehead against hers. "I've told you this a million times, but I'll say it a million more- you are so beautiful, darling" he whispered, nuzzling her nose. She smiled, but now he noticed she was looking a bit tired. "You wanna go to sleep?" She nodded her head yes, and moved closer to him, head pressed against his chest. All at once, he realized how late it was and how he now felt so fucking tired. He just closed his eyes in a snap, and he finally drifted of to sleep. And like a million times before, his arms were wrapped around Gwen tightly, like she was his life raft. But come to think of it... She was his life raft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Funny' story- I wrote 4 versions of this chapter, each other getting accidently deleted on my phone and laptop. This was my 5 version.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading! Please comment any ideas for future chapters, as I am not done with this story at all.
> 
> Songs in order  
> Sangria- Blake Shelton  
> Lullaby  
> Rare- Gwen Stefani  
> (Really good song, from her new album! Check it out)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no explanation that could justify me posting this so late. Writer's block, school work, real life stuff. I had this chapter written for a little while, but kept adding bits and pieces to it. If I update this story from now it, the updates will be little scenes. If I get inspired again, another chapter.

There were a few pictures she kept on top her dresser. One was their wedding photo, both looking like they were the two happiest people on earth. One was of her boys. They were on some beach, with Kingston and Zuma kneeling in the sand, so they could be at level with Apollo. The last one was of her husband hugging Lynn. Both wore the same dimpled grin and had the same bright blue eyes. It was taken in the fall, judging from the piles of leaves around them. She had plenty more photos, on her laptop. At the moment, she was standing there, a far off look in her eye. 

"What are ya doing up so early?"

She tore her gaze from the photographs, snapped back to reality, and turned her head. He was looking at her with barely open eyes and an eyebrow raised.

“I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.” She walked over to him, a small smile playing on her lips.

His hand flew to hers when she got near, and pulled her onto the bed with him, grinning at her shriek of surprise that turned to laughter. 

“Blake, what are you doing?” He only grinned against her neck, before placing a chaste kiss there.

“I just want you to stay a little longer.”

“The sun’s barely up, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Good. Just lay here with me." He closed his eyes, still holding her close with an arm around her waist and his other arm by his side. Her hands reached for his greying curls. She still liked ruffling his hair.

“I’m leaving with the boys, tomorrow morning.”

“I know.”

His eyes opened, now looking at the ring on her finger, brushing it softly. "Remember when I gave this to you?" 

She smiled, "How could I forget? I remember you first asked the three if they would be okay with you being their step-dad." 

He had a thoughtful look in his eyes. “I wanted them to be okay with it. Just like you did" 

"Why the sudden nostalgia?" 

"I dunno." 

She moved until she was resting on top of him, head resting on his chest. 

"How long until the kids are up?"

He sighed, before saying, "Watch." He held up his hand, counting down from five. When he got to zero, they could hear footsteps running down the hall. 

"Wow, you're a psychic." 

"It's a gift but also a curse." 

She got off him, sitting up. He made a whining sound, trying to reach for her but she was out of reach by the time he did. His arm hung limply, and he groaned. "Why do all of you get up so early? For Pete's sake, it's Saturday." 

"Well four of us still have packing to do." 

He pouted, as he watched her smile and walk out the room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're the one who kicked it too hard!"

"It was your idea!"

"No, it was yours!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

That was the first thing he heard when he opened the door. He just shook his head and sighed, taking off his cap. But when he closed the door behind him, the arguing stopped in a flash. By the time he walked into the room, Zuma and Kingston were both standing still, keeping straight faces, while Lynn and Apollo were trying but not succeeding. "Hey Papa," Lynn said, while Apollo was silently giggling.

"Hey sweetie, Hey 'Pollo," He said smiling, before returning his gaze to the two boys, frozen. It didn't take long to put two and two together with the broken lamp and soccer ball. "I thought your momma said no playin' ball in the house?"

"You're not gonna tell her, are you?" Zuma asked nervously, pushing his glasses up his nose.

He raised an eyebrow, smiling a bit. "No, I won't as long as you two are gonna clean it up. Besides, the lamp wasn't that expensive or special,” He stated, and his expression turned serious, “But you two are gonna be getting a new lamp anyhow." Both boys nodded. "Now please go get me a broom and dustpan. And don’t step on any broken pieces of glass." They nodded again, before taking off, tiptoeing around the shards of glass from the lamp.

"Your momma is gone for 2 minutes and something is already broken."

Apollo stifled a laugh, while Lynn frowned. "But isn't she gonna notice that the lamp is gone? When are they gonna find time to get a new one before she gets back?"

He tilted his head, thinking. "Well, she ain't gonna be back for an hour or two and there's a store nearby where I saw a similar lamp like the one they broke."

"Buy the lamp and make them pay you back," Apollo said, shrugging.

"There's an idea." He nodded. Lynn nodded in agreement, "It might work."

 "Alright then," He clapped his hand together, "You two wanna come with me to get the lamp?" "Sure!" They both said in unison, jumping of the couch and running to grab their coats.

Zuma and Kingston walked in, holding a dustpan and a broom. "Where are you guys going?" Zuma looked at his younger brother and sister, who already had their coats and were getting their shoes on.

"To get a new lamp. We figured it'd be faster and easier if we went and got it, and you two just pay me back."

"When you said to bring you a broom, does that mean you're gonna clean it?"

"You two know how to clean up that sort of mess." The two of them nodded.

"Then just remember to avoid the small glass pieces, but still clean them up. I don't want anyone or any dog to step on glass."

"We know, Dad. You don't gotta tell us," Kingston said rolling his eyes.

"I'm just reminding you two." He walked to the door, grabbing his cap again and putting it on. "See you two in a bit." He opened the door, Apollo and Lynn walked out, and he followed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They were sitting out on the porch. He was in a chair, eyes closed. His daughter was sitting on his lap, knees up to her chin. Both were listening to the old radio playing on the table beside them. When the song ended, a new one started playing. She tilted her head. She hadn't heard this one before.

 

_Your cheatin' heart_

_Will make you weep_

_You'll cry and cry_

_And try to sleep_

_But sleep won't come_

_The whole night through_

_Your cheatin' heart will tell on you..._

 

"Papa, what song is this?" The tips of his mouth curved upward, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"The song is called "Your Cheatin' Heart."

"Who's it by?" She looked up at him, a curious expression on her face.

"Hank Williams wrote and recorded it." They stopped talking for a moment.

 

_Your cheatin' heart will tell on you..._

"He sounds sad," She remarked solemnly.  His smile faltered for one second, but he recovered quickly.

"Well, it's a bit of a sad song."

 "How?"

 He grimaced briefly, before giving her a small, sad smile, "Lynn, you'll know why when you're older." She frowned, but shrugged. They both fell silent, listening to the rest of the song.

_Your cheatin' heart_

_Will pine some day_

_And crave the love_

_You threw away_

_The time will come_

_When you'll be blue_

_Your cheatin' heart will tell on you..._

_When tears come down_

_Like falling rain_

_You'll toss around_

_And call my name_

_You'll walk the floor_

_The way I do_

_Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.._

 

"What's wrong, Papa?" He had been staring off into space when he snapped back to reality.

"Oh, nothin' is wrong," He answered, giving a reassuring smile.

"Okay then," She nodded. He sighed, closing his eyes again. "Do you think she's gonna notice the new lamp?"

He laughed, "Probably."

"Then why try to hide it?"

"It's worth a try."

She smiled, before going quiet. A few seconds later, she got a new question.

"You know when they're gonna go? And for how long?"

His brow furrowed, trying to remember the specifics of it.

"Your momma and your brothers will be going tomorrow about a week."

She nodded, while a new song started playing on the radio.

 

_Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues_

_Come on, get rhythm when you get the blues_

_Get a rock 'n' roll feelin' in your bones_

_Put taps on your toes and get gone_

_Get rhythm when you get the blues_

 

"Is this that Johnny Cash guy?”

"Mhm.”

"Dad?"

Zuma was poking his head out the door.

"What's up?"

"Do you know where my suitcase went?"

"Can't recall."

"I think Momma put it in the closet near your room," Lynn chimed in.

"I didn't check there yet."

"Come on, I'll show ya," Lynn got up, and ran inside, Zuma following her. And just like that, he was all alone, with Cash playing quietly in the background. A soft breeze blew by, and he shivered. I’m just gonna go in, He thought, picking up the radio carefully and walked inside. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"There's still all this stuff I have to do." 

"You're worrying too much." 

The kids were all in bed, and it was just the two of them, standing by the window. She was leaning against him, clinging on to his arm.

"Like I said, they're all packed."

"The dirty dishes?" 

"Already taken care of. What part of 'relax' don't you get?" 

 He put a hand her shoulder, which she playfully pushed off. "I'm still annoyed about the lamp." 

"Good lord. They broke it, so what? We got a new one." 

"But you didn't have to hide it." 

“We shouldn't have interfered with the crime scene, I get that now. I’m sorry.” He pouted, looking at her. “Do you forgive me?” She was trying to keep a straight face, but when she felt the stubble on his cheek rub her cheek, she lost it.

"Stop that, it tickles,” She said, giggling. He chuckled, taking a few steps away.

"You've been working too hard. You got a long flight tomorrow, and you're gonna be gone for a little bit." His hand reached out for hers, his words genuine. "Honestly I just want you to relax. Don't worry about anything for now." 

"What about the kids?"

"They're sleeping, remember?" 

"Oh, right,” She said, leaning back against him. He let go of her hand and put both arms around her waist, holding her against him.

"You know, the more I look at you, the more I realize how beautiful you are.”

"Mm, and what are you gonna do when I get older?" Gwen asked, turning her head slightly.

"I'm still gonna love you when your hair turns to silver. You don't gotta worry about a thing,” Blake said, grinning. They shared a soft kiss, his hand gently cupping her face. It was simple, short, but still sweet. When they broke apart, she returned to leaning against him, a contented smile on her face.

"So what are you two gonna do when we're gone?"

 "Nothing special. Haven’t thought of anything yet,” He replied, shrugging, “I mean, unless she thinks of something to do.” She nodded, but her mind was going elsewhere. The faint smile on her face was gone.

“Something’s on your mind. What are ya thinking about?”

“Things would be simpler if they didn’t have to go every month, right?”

His face turned blank at her question, a look of concern flashing in his eyes. “Why are ya asking about this?”

“It just popped into my head. I don’t know why.”

His brow furrowed in concentration, thinking of his next words carefully. “I mean, it’s not like he’s a drug addict, right? An alcoholic? Unless I missed something. But my point is that they never come back with bruises or anything.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“He’s an okay father. Horrible in relationships, but okay as a father. If it wasn’t for that, then every time he did a shitty thing, I’d sock him right there and then. But the boys obviously still love him, so I couldn’t do that.” He had a point, she thought. A new question came into her head.

“Has Lynn ever asked you about it? Why they go?”

“No. She notices though, I can tell. Now what I’d say if she asks, I don’t know. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Did she ask you?” She shook her head. “Alright then. I think we still have time to think about that.” His hands went to her shoulders, rubbing them in a comforting gesture. “Are ya afraid of what she might say?” For some reason, this made her smile.

“I’m afraid of how I’m gonna explain it.”

He tilted his head, thinking about that.

“What would I say? Where would I start? And it’s not just Lynn. Apollo was too young to remember what exactly happened. He’s bound to ask. King and Zuma remember. They knew we weren’t happy, but I don’t know if they understood why. I want to protect all of them from the nasty details.”

“You’ll find a way to. When the time comes, you will, believe me,” Blake said in a low voice, “We’ll make sure that if they ever want to know, it comes from us, and not a stranger.” One of her hands went to one of his, which was resting on her shoulder, her smooth fingers holding on to his calloused ones. “It’s too late to be talking about this type of stuff anyway,” He said. She nodded her head in agreement, stifling a yawn. Her eyelids were drooping, and she felt like she could doze off at any second.

He moved his hands from her shoulders and turned her around to face him. She rested her head against his shoulder, and felt him place a tender kiss on the top of her head.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Lynn was sitting on his shoulders, looking through sad eyes as their car soon went out of sight. He sighed, looking even sadder. He didn't like it, though he should've been used to it by now. 

"Ya wanna go back inside now?" 

"Okay," She replied, and he started walking to the door. He lifted her off his shoulders, but not before taking one last look behind his shoulder at the driveway where the car had been only a few minutes ago. 

"They'll be back soon. Right?" 

"Yes they will. Faster than you can say your full name." 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Papa?"

He heard her call out when he was walking past her room. "Yeah?" He poked his head through the door. She was sitting up in her bed, hugging her knees up to her chest. "What's wrong?" He had a concerned frown on his face, opening the door a bit more so he could step in.

 "I can't sleep," She said quietly, when he got to her, and sat down by her feet.

"Bad dream?" He asked softly. She gave a tiny nod. "You wanna talk about it?" He put an arm around her, bringing her closer.                                                                                                             

"I don't wanna talk about it. It scared me,” She said, huddling close to him, “I think it’s because it’s only the two of us.”

He cocked his head, thinking. "Yeah, the place feels empty with your brothers’ arguing, running around, and your momma yelling at them to calm down.”                                                                                                                                         

She cracked a grin for a second, but it faded. 

"I actually can't sleep either, princess. It's too quiet. I was thinking about taking a short drive around to ease my mind." 

Lynn looked up at him with wide eyes. "Can I come with you Papa? I don't want to stay here alone." 

He smiled. "You didn't think I'd go without you, did you?" 

She shrugged. 

"Whatever makes you happy? That's my job." 

"Do I have to change out of my pjs?" 

"You don't have to. Look at me, I'm still in mine." She giggled, and he stood up and reached down to pick her up. 

"I used to do this with 'Pollo when he was younger, younger than you are now. Your momma tagged along sometimes as well." 

"Did he have bad dreams too?" 

"He was just a restless sleeper. Usually started sleepin' like a rock right when I started up the truck." 

"Huh." He put her down for a second, getting her coat off the coat rack, and helped her put it on. "It's starting to get colder. Don't want you getting sick now, do we?" He said as he zipped it up, and she shook her head. "Alright, you ready?" She nodded. 

"Then let's go." 

 

It was a nice, quiet night. He didn't turn on the radio, thinking it'd be easier for her to sleep. When he glanced in the rearview mirror, she seemed to be getting sleepy, but she was still awake, looking out the window. 

"Is it true that you can't see the stars in the city?" Lynn asked, gazing up at the night sky. 

"You can see one or two of them. But not like this." 

"But they're not all bad, right?" 

He shrugged. "Yeah, they're not that bad." 

"Momma's not from here, right?" 

He nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. "Yes. She's from California. So are your brothers." 

"Do they like it here?" 

"I sure hope they do," He laughed, "Otherwise they've been suffering silently for about 5 years." 

"So why do they always go back?" 

His laughter died down, leaving him frowning.

"They don't go back just because they always miss the west. They have other reasons." 

"What other reasons? How come the only time I get to go is on holidays and that's to see Grampa  and Gramma?" 

He didn't have an answer. Well, he did, but not now. She'd ask again; maybe she won't, who knew? He sighed, scratching his head. 

"Remember that ol' Hank song we listened to yesterday?" 

He saw her nod, and went on. 

"Remember how I told you that you'll figure out what it means when you get older?" 

"Yeah, I remember." 

"Same thing with why your brothers go every once in a while." 

"Everything happens when I get older," She muttered, "I hate being young." His ears caught what she said, and he chuckled. "Take it from me. Being old sucks." She giggled. 

"You ain't that old, Papa." 

"You kidding? Don't you see these grey hairs? The wrinkles on my face?" 

She shrugged. “You still ain’t that old,” she said, before she looked back out the window and fell quiet. 

"Well thank you, Lynn. But still, stay young. Not a lot of stress and trouble." 

She looked like she was going to ask another question about it, but didn't, instead asking, "Can you turn on the radio, please?" 

"I thought you were trying to fall asleep." 

"Yeah, and I think that’d help." 

"Alright then." 

He turned on the radio, keeping it at a low volume. Lynn yawned, feeling her eyelids droop. The trees and fields they were passing by coming out of focus. The last thing she remembered, before falling asleep, was looking up at the star-studded, dark blue sky. 

**Author's Note:**

> The song part is from "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. I heard it and my muse thought I could use it.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please comment ideas for future chapters and keep writing more shefani fanfictions :)


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